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At our school, kindergarten students are given a problem-solving activity that they create at home. The students gather together all kinds of scrap materials to make the perfect trap to catch a sneaky leprechaun.

Students have used small boxes, bags, spools, straw, yarn, string, paper cups, glitter, hair rollers, plastic spoons, and pieces of wood. Their leprechaun "bait" has included chocolate gold coins, cardboard, warning signs, and anything sticky, such as shiny tape.

They decide how to attract a leprechaun to the trap and sketch out their plan. I tell students that leprechauns are sneaky fellows, so you need to be clever and tricky!

I also have the students present their traps for share time. They explain how their trap works and do a demonstration.